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Putting the brakes on a family at risk

By Rupert Saunders of The Times

July 16 2004, 1:00am, The Times

Teaching my daughter to drive was one of the scariest things I have done. I thought that took nerve. Now I am sitting beside her as we hurtle down an airfield runway, trusting her as she tests the anti-lock brakes on a Ford Focus. The lights ahead flick red. She hits the brake pedal . . . hard. The Focus stands on its nose, shudders and Anna calmly steers left and right to bring the car to a stop inside the safety zone. Not bad for an 18-year-old who passed her test three months ago.

The Saunders family — Wendy, Anna and I — were guinea-pigs for a new advanced course being launched by Drive & Survive, the driver training specialists, at Enstone airfield, near Chipping Norton…

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